This invention relates to a kit of parts which can be attached to a conventional automobile or road vehicle to provide a power takeoff shaft at a front end of a vehicle for driving an attached implement such as a snowblower or pump.
Road vehicles and particularly automobiles or pickup trucks are used every day by drivers for transportation of passengers or goods. Generally such vehicles include an engine at a front end of the vehicle with a suitable transmission for driving the wheels from the engine. In most cases the engine has significant excess power which is available particularly at low speeds of the vehicle. The present inventor has realized that this power is available to drive implements which can be attached to a front end of the vehicle.
A search has been carried out which has revealed U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,365 2,815,590 2,024,551, 3,759,340, 2,518,622, 3,055,127, 2,283,101.
Attention is particularly drawn to the above U.S. Pat. No. 2,024,551 (Thornhill), 2,283,101 (Snook), 2,815,590 (Fiacco) and 3,055,127 (Williamson) each of these shows a snowblower-type arrangement mounted on the front of a conventional motor vehicle and each mentions that a snowblower is driven by a power takeoff extending forwardly from the vehicle. None of the patents have explained exactly how the power takeoff is mounted or driven and the patents all concentrate on the details of the snowblower or its mounting.
In addition power takeoff drives are well known in various locations on tractors but these are generally provided as a fixed part of the original equipment in a manner which is not suitable for a conventional road vehicle.
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a kit of parts which can be attached to a conventional road vehicle to provide a power takeoff shaft having an end accessible at a front of the vehicle for driving an attached implement such as a snowblower or the like.
According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a motor vehicle of the type including a vehicle body having chassis frame members, ground wheels attached to the body for supporting the body in movement across the ground, an engine mounted in the body adjacent a front end thereof, transmission means for communicating drive from the engine to the wheels, a pulley mounted on a forward end of the engine for communicating drive via at least one belt from a crank shaft of the engine to at least one engine accessory, an improvement by the provision of a kit of parts comprising a base member having means thereon for releasable attachment of the base member to the frame members of the vehicle body, bearing means mounted on the base member, power takeoff shaft means carried in said bearing means and arranged relative to said base member so as to extend, with the plate member attached to the frame members, parallel to and beneath the crank shaft and arranged such that a forward end thereof extends to an accessible position at a front of the vehicle body and drive coupling means for communicating drive from the crank shaft to the power takeoff shaft means including an electrically operated clutch, a first drive member having means for attachment to the crank shaft at the crankshaft pulley, a flexible loop coupling member driven by the said first drive member and a second drive member mounted on the power takeoff shaft for communicating drive from the coupling member to the shaft.
Preferably the plate member includes a rod which extends transversely to the plate member and which provides respective ends which can engage into a V-shape area which is the clamp for the stabilizer bar of the vehicle with the bar being pressed into the V-shape by engagement of one end of the plate member with a transverse beam of the vehicle frame. A coupling between the plate member and the transverse beam can be used to adjust the angle of the plate by pivotal movement about the ends of the rod so that the plate can be properly aligned to position the shaft at the required angle and also to tension and release the flexible loop coupling which may be a chain or belt.
The above drive member is particularly designed to drive the power take-off shaft but could also be used to drive other equipment.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: